Teenage Dream
by hollymarie4
Summary: Sequel to Already Taken. The girls are living it up in New York when unexpected news pulls them back to everything they ran away from...
1. The Past Resurfaces

Okay so... I know you guys are all like wth Holly is doing way too much with her life right now, she has two other stories out and she wants to start a new one. Well, I guess you'd kinda be right. I do have way too much going on...but who cares as long as I'm writing riiiiiiiight? riiiiiight? Who's with me?

Okay anyways. So this is the Sequel to Already Taken that I've been trying to avoid writing. Already Taken did so amazing, as far as you guys liking it and I guess I kinda just didn't wanna disappoint if I didn't go in the direction you guys were hoping for. This chapter will probably shock some of you...

The MORAL to this incredibly long and unnecessarily story is that I'm posting this to see if all you Already Taken Fans are still interested in reading it. Review and let me know. Or don't review and I guess that would be letting me know as well.

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Chapter 1

"_I can't believe your dad got us this place. It's huge." I exclaimed as we entered the huge apartment. It was in a prime location. Only a few blocks away from NYU and even within walking distance to Times Square. It must have cost a fortune. That's not even the best part—he paid up our rent for the next four years so all we had to focus on was school. How nice is he?_

"_Well, I guess he figured that since I wasn't going back there, not if you weren't, then he might as well make us as comfortable as he could here." She said with a smile, coming up behind me and wrapping her arms around me. "Are you okay? You know, with all that's happened?" _

_I turned my head to look at her. "I'm perfectly fine as long as I have you Ms. Davies." I tell her truthfully with a smile. I have been through a lot over the last year and I'm not sure how I would have gotten through any of it without Ashley. _

"_Good. Cause if you weren't we could totally go back. I wouldn't have a problem with it, Spencer." I turned my self in her arms so that we were now facing each other._

"_I love you, Ashley. Don't think for a second I regret my decision to leave LA., because I don't. There is no where I'd rather be and no one I'd rather be here with." I said and kissed her lips sweetly._

"_As long as you're sure." She said with a smile._

"_One hundred percent." I retorted._

–

It's been almost two years since Ashley and I got to New York and I could possibly say it's been two of the best years of my life. After leaving California we decided that it was irresponsible to leave and not at least tell Ashley's dad where we were. I was scared to death but Ashley was as calm as ever. She said that she would make him understand and that if he didn't we would just leave and go somewhere else before he got here.

Thankfully, he understood. He said he figured we'd do something like running away when he told us that we couldn't take our little vacation in the middle of the school year, so he'd prepared for it. Apparently he had someone tailing us the whole time, he knew where we were all along. When we got to New York and decided to call him, he said he was waiting on the call.

He was mad at first but then Ashley told him that she didn't want to go back to LA, that it made more sense to stay here since I would be moving here in the Summer anyway for school. She convinced him to let her stay and he agreed, but only if she would allow him to put us up in a nice place, and we both finish out high school with a private tutor he set up. And he replenished Ashley's bank account with more money than before. He said he would not have his daughter and her girlfriend in a big city such as New York with only a few thousand dollars to live on. Raife is an amazing guy and an amazing dad.

So after he purchased us a nice apartment, and by nice I mean amazingly huge apartment, we moved in with all new furniture and a new outlook on life. We were on our own now. Not having to worry about what other people thought or having to hide our relationship. We were on cloud nine.

After winter break, Raife made good on that tutor and we finished out the year. We had a hell of a summer, exploring New York—and each other. After the summer ended Ashley had to finish up her Senior year and I was away every morning at school. It was hard at first... spending so much time together, all the time, then suddenly only seeing each other at night—when I wasn't too busy with my homework. But we made it work. Cause we are in love with each other. And when you love someone as much as I love Ashley... you would do anything, go anywhere, be anyone for her. I'm done with my first year at Tisch school for the arts at NYU and Ashley is just starting her first year there. Majoring in Music of course. It's gonna be great to see her around campus and to be able to have lunch with her and stuff again.

Madison and I kept in touch of course. Her and Aiden both attended the University of Southern California. They are happy as ever and I'm extremely happy for them. I haven't spoken to my parent's since that day I left...not once did they call. Not to see if I was okay, or even to check if I was still alive. They didn't care, as long as they didn't have to see or deal with me anymore.

–

"Ashley for the last time I told you that I didn't want anything for my birthday. Turning twenty is not something I want to celebrate." I tell her taking the gift wrapped box from her hand—placing it down on the table in front of us.

"What?" She asks, her voice an entire octave higher than normal. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with turning twenty years old Spencer. You act like you're turning fifty." She tells me as she moves closer to me.

"Well. It's close enough." I say pouting. She wraps her arms around me and kisses my pout away.

"Don't be crazy." She says then kisses my lips again. "Now open your gift." She picks up the gift wrapped box off the table and hands it to me. "You're gonna love it. I promise." She adds with a smile.

"Fine." I drawl out, taking the box out of her hand. "It better not be something crazy expensive." I say as I begin to unwrap it. "Oh my God!" I breathe out as I look down at the item in the box.

"So you like it then?" She asks and I look up to see her smirking.

"Ashley I can't—this is... Ashley no." I finally say. "I can't take this." I shake my head, shoving the box back to her.

"Spencer-"

"No." I cut her off. "I'm not taking this."

"But-"

"Ashley this is a Nikon D3X. These camera's are almost eight thousand dollars. How do you expect me to be able to accept this from you?" I ask, my mouth agape. I can't believe she did this. As sweet as it is, she knows that I didn't want anything so expensive for my birthday.

"Well technically, it's from me and my dad." She says, plastering a smile on her face. "So technically, I didn't really spend anything but four thousand dollars." She adds.

"Which is still too much." I say shaking my head. "I can't take this Ashley. I'm sorry." I had her back the box.

"Well, how do you expect to be a photography major and get good grades with that piece of crap camera you have Spencer? Please, if you never take another gift from me in your life, accept this one. Please?" She asks, tilting her head to the side. She knows what that does to me.

"Ashley-"

"Please." She begs again. Batting her eyelashes and pouting her beautiful pink lips.

"Ugh!" I groan out. "Fine." I tell her. "But under one condition." I say holding a finger up.

"You have to promise that you wont buy me anything else... like ever again." I say and she nods and smiles.

"I promise." She says. The sly smirk on her face giving her away, though.

"Mhm." I mumble out as I reconnect our lips in a kiss. "Thank you." I say pulling back. "I love it." I tell her honestly. It's the best gift I've ever gotten. It's funny how since I met Ashley she's given me the first and second best gifts I've ever gotten in my whole entire life.

"You're welcome baby." She tells me pulling my face closer, kissing my lips harder—needier. Just as the kiss was starting to intensify, even more, my phone rings from the living room. "Fuck!" Ashley yells out, pulling away from our kiss. "I'll get it." She tells me sighing—clearly annoyed that our make out session was interrupted.

"I'm gonna start dinner." I tell her retreating form. I grab a pan from in the cabinet as I hear Ashley say a hello. I go to the fridge and grab the chicken and asparagus.

"Spence, it's your dad." Ashley says, sounding just as surprised as my face probably looks right now. I haven't talked to my dad since before we left LA. The only people I have talked to are Glen, Madison and Aiden. But what could my dad possibly want after almost two years. Ashley walks over and hands me the phone. I put it to my ear, trying to find my voice to say hello.

"Hello." His deep voice says on the other line. "Spencer you there?" He asks, desperation seeping from his voice.

"I'm—I'm here." I croak out. It's weird to hear his voice after so long. I feel like I could cry. Like I left a part of me back in LA. A part that I'll probably never get back.

"Um... I'm not sure how to tell you this Spencer, I've been trying to work up the courage to tell you this for a couple of months now." I remain quiet. He clears his throat and continues. "Spencer, your mom... she... she's real sick honey..." he trails off. I can hear the pain in his voice. Still, I say nothing. What do I say? "She has breast cancer, Spencer." He says finally and my breath hitches.

I know my mom hasn't always treated me the best, or done right by me always, but she_ is_ my mother. And despite her closed mindedness and bigotry, I can't help but still love her. She's my mother and I will always love her.

"I-" I start. What do you say at a time like this? I hate it when something is wrong with you or you're dying and someone tells you they're sorry. Sorry doesn't heal me. It doesn't make me feel better. They are just meaningless words at a time like this. A waste of breath.

"She wants to see you, Spencer." He says, breaking me from my thoughts. I look up from the floor, to a worried Ashley, who I hadn't even noticed, has moved considerably closer to me—probably when I had that sharp intake of breath.

"Arthur, I don't know. I have to think about it." I tell her. Don't think I'm a bad person. I just... I need time... you would too.

"I understand. Please don't wait too long though." He says and I get what he means.

"Okay." I breathe out and hang up the phone.

"What's wrong?" Ashley asks the second I pull the phone down from my ear.

I shake my head, not knowing if the words would even form on my tongue. Sometimes you wonder why things like this happen to people who claim to be so close to God that they can hear his thoughts. That's how my mother was and has always been.

"Spencer, baby please talk to me." She says as I slide down the fridge to the floor.

"My mom..." I let it hang in the air.

"What about her?" She asks, confusion and worry written all over her face.

I take a deep breath and swallow, trying to will myself to say the words. Say it! Just freaking say it!

"She..." I swallow the lump in my throat... "She has breast cancer." Finally falls from my lips and Ashley's eyes go wide.


	2. Dreams

Chapter 2

"You should go, Spence. I think that you'd really regret it if she..." She pauses and looks at me intently. "I just think you should go." Ashley tells me for the tenth time. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do. A part of me wants to go see my mother, tell her goodbye, but then the part of me is saying don't go Spencer, even on her death bed your mother is still going to be the same closed minded person she's always been.

"I wanna go, Ash. But then there's a part of me that's still upset with her about everything." I try and explain.

"I know." She nods and wraps her arm around my shoulder. We've been sitting on the floor in the kitchen ever since Arthur called, and she's been trying to convince me that going back to California is good idea. "Everyone makes mistakes, Spencer. And undoubtedly, your mom made a mistake in the way she handled your coming out, but she's your mother, she thought that she was doing what was best."

"Are you taking up for her?" I ask, a little more snappy than I had intended.

"No." Ashley shakes her head. "Not at all. I'm just saying, that if it was you in her position, with her beliefs... what would you have done?" She asks then stands up. "I'm gonna get dinner started." She adds as she walks towards the stove, leaving me sitting on the floor.

She's right. Of course Ashley's right. She's always right.

"What about school?" I ask, standing up from the floor.

"We can talk to your teachers, I'm sure they'd understand Spence." Ashley tells me with her back to me.

"Fine." I say and roll my eyes at her back. "I'll go." I tell her through a sigh.

"Good." She says walking back to me and wrapping me up in her arms. "You need this Spence. Trust me it'll be good for you." She tells me with a smile and head nod.

"I'm sure." I say sarcastically.

"You should go pack. I'll call my dad and have him send the jet for us tomorrow." She tells me.

–

"I feel like I'm forgetting something." I tell Ashley frantically, as we drive to the airport.

"You're not forgetting anything Spence, you're just freaking out and making excuses." Ashley tells me with a small smile.

"What if she hasn't changed at all, Ash. What if she's still the exact same person?"

"Then at least you'd know. At least you'd have given it a shot to fix things." Ashley says as we turn off the freeway.

I think that's what I'm most afraid of, going back to California and my mom being the exact same person she was when I left. Even dying, I'm not sure I expect much of a change from my mom.

"I love you." Ashley says grabbing my hand as we pull into the small airport to board Raife's jet he sent for us.

"I know." I nod and smile, then lean over and kiss her cheek.

–

The plane ride to California was unusually quiet. I think Ashley was trying to give me space... time to think about what's about to happen.

"Did you wanna go straight over there or..." Ashley trails off, letting her question hang in the air as she places our bags onto the bed. We got a hotel about fifteen minutes from my parents house.

"I just wanna lay down first." I tell her as I lay down on the bed, curling up into the fetal position. She nods and lays next to me.

"I'm gonna go get us something to eat. I'll be real quick." She whispers in my ear and kisses my forehead. I wordlessly nod and close my eyes as I feel her get up from the bed and I hear her leave.

"_Spencer!" My moms voice immediately calls me from the living room. I walk into the living room to find my whole family and a priest. "Spencer..." My mom starts, walking up to me. "I'm gonna ask you this one time, and one time only. Are you and that girl together?"_

_I look past my mom to see my dad and brother looking down, probably here involuntarily, and the priest staring at me with questioning eyes as he holds his bible close to his chest. Really mom? A Priest?_

_I don't wanna lie to her, I'm not gonna deny Ashley. I love her and my mom can't stop me. Or some Priest for that matter._

"_Yes." I say simply. Not like I need to go into details about it. Her breath hitches and she covers her mouth with her hand, averting her gaze away from me. "Mom, I love her." I admit quietly, glancing over at my brother and father whose eye's are still glued to the ground. The Priest looks like he wants to say something, but I guess he's waiting his turn._

_My mom goes to say something but I guess it gets caught in her throat. "Mrs. Carlin, may I?" The Priest asks stepping forward, placing a hand on my moms shoulder. She nods and he steps closer to me, with a small smile on his face. "Spencer, dear. I'm Father O'Harra." He extends out his hand for me to shake and I take it. No need to be rude to him, it's not his fault my mom dragged him into this.  
"Would you like to sit?" He questions and I shake my head._

"_Look, Father. I don't wanna be rude, cause I know that you were called here by my mother. But I love Ashley and nothing and no one is gonna change my mind." I tell him and he nods his head._

_"" know things sometimes can become a bit confusing when you're a teenager. Feelings and emotions start developing, and everything becomes one big blur. If we look at the big picture, the picture God has created for us, then we'll see that these events merely are there to test your faith, nothing else." He tells me calmly._

"_Father, I..." I start._

"_You're gonna go to hell, Spencer. Do you understand that?" My mom cuts me off. And I can see the tears now forming in her eyes. I don't get why this hurts her so much, this is my life, let me live it. My dad is now on his feet at my moms side consoling her. Why is he consoling her for? I'm the one under attack here. Thanks dad!_

"_Mom, I know that right now all this seems bad, and I'm sorry if I embarrass you but this is who I am. Ashley is who I wanna be with." I say stepping closer to her, but she moves back like I'm diseased._

"_That girl has changed you. You're not my daughter, I don't know who you are." She spits out._

"_I'm the same Spencer, mom." I don't know why I feel the need to defend myself. She's never gonna understand._

"_No, you're not." She says, detaching herself from my fathers grasp. "And you're gonna live under my roof you're not allowed to see that girl anymore!" She yells, causing my brother's head to shoot up, and my dad to try and calm her._

"_Paula." He says softly, but she's not paying him any attention. She's looking directly at me, eyes filled with venom._

"_I'm 18 mom, you can't tell me what to do anymore and that girl has a name!" I retort and she scoffs._

"_If you wanna live under my roof you'll understand that you are forbidden from seeing Ashley." So much hate spewing from her words._

"_Then I guess I'm leaving." I blurt out before I can even stop the words from falling from my lips. Everyone in the room eyes shoot to me. "I'm not gonna live in a house where the person I love and amazing, wonderful love I have for them, is not accepted." I tell them, making sure to look everyone in the eyes._

"_Then leave!" My mom shouts and lunges towards me. "Get out, get out, get out!" She keeps yelling, as both my brother and dad have to hold her back. _

"Spencer, Spencer!" Ashley shakes me awake.

"Hmm?" I ask, looking up at her. I didn't even realize how tired I was.

"You were screaming...baby you're crying." She says wiping the fallen tears from my face. "Are you okay? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..."

"No, I'm fine." I cut her off. "I need to do this." I say sitting up. "I _can_ do this." I nod firmly.

"Okay." She says softly, wrapping her arms around me. "We don't have to go today, we ca go tomorrow." She adds and I just nod.

"Ashley." I pull back and scan her face.

"Hmm?"

"I love you." I say simply and a small smile plays at her lips.

"I love you more, Spencer Carlin." She says and kisses my lips sweetly.

I didn't know what tomorrow would bring, what was going to happen to my mom or if she'd become a different person over the past two years. I didn't know any of that. The only thing I knew for sure is that I'd have the one person in the world that I cared about unconditionally and irrevocably right there by my side, holding my hand.


End file.
